This invention relates to reinforced foam plastic articles, preferably made of polyurethane foam, which are provided with a reinforcing insert which is joined to the foam.
The invention is an improvement in or a modification of structures such as for example those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,444.
Said patent provides an article comprising foam plastic covered with an outer surface layer and comprising adjacent to the outer surface layer, a zone of reinforced foam plastic, the reinforcement of which comprises a reinforcing insert, each insert being embedded in the foam plastics, each insert comprising at least one mat which is firmly united to at least one loose fibre structure, each mat being more compact than a loose fibre structure to which it is united, one insert being arranged so that a mat thereof is adjacent to the outer surface layer of the article.
In one embodiment of the invention the article is produced by foaming in a mould and the outer surface layer comprises a gel coat which is a binder that has been applied to the inner wall of the mould before foaming.
The outer surface layer may simply consist of the gelcoat or some other layer which has a layer of the gel coat applied to its internal surface. In either case the gel coat is only anchored to the reinforced foam plastic along the interface and possibly also via the reinforcing mat which has one side embedded in the layer of the gel coat.